Method of producing high alcohol content foaming compositions with silicone-based surfactants

ABSTRACT

This invention relates to a method of producing and dispensing a foam using a “high lower alcohol content” (&gt;40% v/v of a C 1-4  alcohol) liquid composition. The liquid compositions comprise an alcohol, C 1-4  (&gt;40% v/v), a silicone-based surfactant of at least 0.001% by weight to prepare a foamable composition, 0-10% w/w of additional minor components added to obtain the desired performance (a foamable composition), and the balance being purified water. The compositions may include emulsifier-emollients and moisturizers, secondary surfactants, foam stabilizers, fragrances, antimicrobial agents, other type of medicinal ingredients, and the like ingredients or additives or combinations thereof commonly added to alcohol gels or foams, aerosol compositions or to toiletries, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals and the like.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED U.S. APPLICATIONS

This patent application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No.11/806,767, filed on Jun. 4, 2007, which is a continuation applicationof U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/591,243 entitled HIGH ALCOHOLCONTENT FOAMING COMPOSITIONS WITH SILICONE-BASED SURFACTANTS, filed onAug. 31, 2006, which is incorporated herein by reference in itsentirety, and which is a National Phase application claiming the benefitof PCT/CA2006/000320 filed on Mar. 7, 2006 which is incorporated hereinby reference in its entirety; which further claims the priority benefitfrom, U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/658,580 filed onMar. 7, 2005, in English, entitled HIGH ALCOHOL CONTENT FOAMINGCOMPOSITIONS WITH SILICONE-BASED SURFACTANTS, and which is incorporatedherein by reference in its entirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to compositions with high contents oflower alcohol (C₁₋₄) that could be dispensed as a foam both under lowpressure from unpressurized containers and from pressurized containersachieved with an aerosol packaging system. The compositions to bedispensed as foams contain a silicone-based surfactant and when mixedwith air provide a stable alcohol foam which can be used for personalcleaning or for disinfecting purposes.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Ethanol and/or Isopropyl alcohol and/or n-propyl alcohol compositionswith at least 60% percent v/v (approximately 52% by weight) are wellknown to be antibacterial, therefore widely accepted for disinfectingpurposes. Nonetheless due to the inherent characteristics of alcohol, itis perceived that the higher the content the better the product and asolution with higher than 60% by volume alcohol content is moredesirable.

Alcohol disinfectant solutions are generally thickened in order toeliminate the waste and facilitate spreading the composition throughoutthe desired area. It is also known that other than gelling agents onecan use paraffin or waxes to achieve thickening of a solution with highalcohol concentration. Such a composition with lanolin added to reducethe melting point closer to body temperature is described in U.S. Pat.No. 2,054,989. One of the disadvantages of gels and the above-mentionedtype of thick alcohol-containing compositions is that if they do notleave a tacky feeling on the hands after one use (although some do), theeffect builds up after repetitive use during the day, making itnecessary to eventually wash off the thickeners before continuing theusage of an alcohol antiseptic solution. The present invention ifformulated for the above-mentioned type of product does not leave such afeel, and does not need to be washed off after repeated use.

Generally speaking a high alcohol content disinfectant solutiondisinfects but does not clean. In order to make them disinfect andclean, so much soap would need to be added to the solution that the skinwould feel soapy and disagreeable resulting in a formulation that wouldhave little commercial appeal. Nonetheless, a non-irritant skindisinfecting formulation with a high content of a lower alcohol for useas a skin-washing agent has been successfully achieved by combiningemulsifiers, surfactants and skin emollients as described in U.S. Pat.No. 5,629,006.

Surfactants other than for cleaning purposes are also used for spreadingan aqueous composition containing one or more active substances rapidlyand evenly over a surface due to their wetting properties. The use ofgood wetting agents definitely improves the efficient use of activesubstances in different compositions as described in U.S. Pat. No.5,928,993.

Although a high alcohol content disinfectant solution has gooddisinfectant characteristics, it has a sharp smell and is generallyperceived to cause drying of the skin, characteristics which can also bediminished to a desirable level in the present invention.

A foam product with greater than 40% v/v alcohol, which is easy and safeto use, is desirable over conventional liquid, gel or ointment typecomposition products. The concentration of alcohol already poses ahazard in itself, and there are many applications in which the perceivedrisk may be diminished if it could be dispensed as a foam. A foamintended to be useful as a skin disinfecting agent must have a uniformconsistency, spreadability, cleansing ability, and have a pleasant feel,i.e. have rapid breaking power when pressure is applied; all of whichpresent a challenge for a high lower alcohol content composition.

The description of an aqueous foaming skin disinfecting compositionusing 15% w/w alcohol as a co-solvent, which requires no pressurizedcontainer or added propellant to produce the foam, is described in U.S.Pat. No. 3,962,150.

The foam-forming agents utilized heretofore, have been incapable offorming stable foams when the liquid phase has high alcohol contentwithout using other ingredients. Furthermore, lower alcohols have beenconsidered to be defoamers rather than foam-promoting chemicals.According to Klausner, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,131,153, if more than 64%alcohol is used non-homogeneous compositions are obtained. Thecompositions in the patent required propellant to foam and the foamsproduced were of limited stability.

Various examples of compositions with a high content of a lower alcoholthat are dispensed as a foam have been described, although for thepurpose of the present invention the concentrations of alcohol and thelevels of other ingredients are not suitable. More importantly, the useof propellants and aerosol containers to generate the foam is notdesirable. For example, the compositions described in U.S. Pat. No.5,906,808 disclose a product that uses an emulsifying wax NF, and acombination of stearyl and cetyl alcohol, or other wax combinations,which improve the foaming performance of the composition, in combinationwith cetyl lactate, to produce a 0.8% chlorhexidine gluconate alcoholproduct.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,167,950 issued to Lins discloses a foam product whichrequires a propellant and where no surfactant is added as a cleaningagent. The composition disclosed in this patent is based upon using anemulsifier system (fatty alcohol ROH 16-22 carbons) in combination withthe use of a thickening agent (carbomer, klucel, etc.) to produce anantimicrobial aerosol mousse having a high alcohol content. The mousseincludes alcohol, water, a polymeric gelling agent and a surfactantsystem comprising a C16-C22 alcohol, aerosol propellant and a non-ionicpolyethoxylated surfactant.

Despite the work done to date it has been shown that there is littlespecific knowledge on how foams react and are formed, and surprisinglyformulations that might seem not foamable result in the best foamproducing ones while other formulations which seemed to have beenproducing foam even while being prepared did not perform well at all insome non-aerosol foam dispensers. The behaviour of aqueous foams is notthe same as that of an alcohol foam.

Silicone-based surfactants have been used in applications requiringlowering of the surface tension and increased wetting properties,especially in applications that require materials to be compatible withsolvent systems other than water and non-reactive to other components inthe compositions. Silicone surfactants are desirable since they canachieve relatively low surface tension levels with relatively lowconcentrations in the compositions of interest Commercial examples ofthe exploitation of the advantage of the low surface tension levelsachieved using Silicone based surfactants are crop protection products,printing inks, paints, floor coatings, etc. The characteristicsmentioned above make silicone surfactants a candidate for the intentionof this patent.

It would be very advantageous to have alcohol based disinfectingformulations containing silicone-based surfactants which may bedispensed as a foam under low pressure conditions and/and or through anaerosol packaging system. Further, it would be very advantageous anddesirable to find a foaming agent that could be used in concentrationsthat would allow it to be used in products that can remain in the areaon which they have been applied and do not need to be rinsed or wipedoff due to small amounts of residue remaining after evaporation. Thus itwould also be very advantageous to provide foams that do not leave anunpleasant sticky after-feel as most commercial alcohol gel products areknown to, or which clog up the dispensing equipment used to dispense thefoams. Silicone-based surfactants are more than desirable for thepurpose aforementioned since they are currently used as desirablecosmetic ingredients in creams, lotions, and other cosmetics due totheir soft after-feel and properties.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides high alcohol content compositions, whichcontain a surfactant/cleaning agent as well as adisinfectant/cleaning/solvent/carrier that causes very little drying tothe skin or the hands of the user and is able to be dispensed as a foamfrom both pressurized and non-pressurized systems dispensing systems.

Accordingly, the present invention provides a method of producing anddispensing a foam using a foamable alcohol composition, the methodcomprising the steps of;

a) dispensing a foamable alcohol composition from a container having adispenser pump configured to mix air with the foamable alcoholcomposition during dispensing to form a foam, the foamable alcoholcomposition comprising

-   -   i) a C₁₋₄ alcohol, or mixtures thereof, present in an amount        greater than 40% v/v of the total composition;    -   ii) an effective physiologically acceptable silicone-based        surfactant, comprising a lipophilic chain containing a silicone        backbone for wetting and foaming present in an amount of at        least 0.01% weight percent of the total composition; and    -   iii) water present in an amount to balance the total composition        to 100% weight percent.

In one embodiment, the present invention also provides a method ofproducing and dispensing a foam using a foamable alcohol disinfectingcomposition, the method comprising the steps of:

a) dispensing a foamable alcohol disinfecting composition from acontainer having a dispenser pump configured to mix air with thefoamable alcohol disinfecting composition during dispensing to form afoam, the foamable alcohol disinfecting composition comprising:

-   -   i) an alcohol C₁₋₄, or mixtures thereof, present in an amount        between about 60% to about 80% v/v of the total composition;    -   ii) an effective physiologically acceptable silicone-based        surfactant comprising a lipophilic chain containing a silicone        backbone, for wetting and foaming present in an amount from        about 0.01% to about 10.0% weight percent of the total        composition;    -   iii) a foam stabilizing agent present in an amount from about        0.01 to about 12.0% weight percent;    -   iv) any one of moisturizers, emollients and combinations thereof        present in an amount from about 0.05 to about 5.0% weight        percent; and    -   v) water in an amount to balance the total composition to 100%        weight percent.

The present invention also provides a method of use of an alcohol foamcomposition for personal disinfecting, the method of use comprisingproviding an alcohol foam composition comprising;

-   -   a) air mixed under low pressure conditions; and    -   b) a liquid comprising        -   i) a C₁₋₄ alcohol, or mixtures thereof, present in an amount            greater than about 60% v/v of the total composition;        -   ii) an physiologically acceptable silicone-based surfactant            having a lipophilic chain containing a silicone backbone,            for wetting and foaming present in an amount of at least            0.01% weight percent of the total composition; and        -   iii) water present in an amount to balance the total            composition to 100% weight percent.

The present invention also provides a method for producing, and applyingto a person's skin, a skin-disinfecting alcohol foam composition,comprising

-   -   a) combining an alcohol C₁₋₄, or mixtures thereof, present in an        amount greater than about 60% v/v of the total composition with        an effective physiologically acceptable silicone-based        surfactant for foaming present in an amount of at least 0.001%        by weight of the total composition, and water present in an        amount to balance the total composition to 100% by weight to        form an alcohol/silicone-based surfactant mixture and storing        said composition in an unpressurized dispenser having a        dispenser pump;    -   b) activating the dispenser pump to combine the        alcohol/silicone-based surfactant mixture with air to form and        dispense a skin-disinfecting alcohol foam; and    -   c) applying the skin-disinfecting alcohol foam to the person's        skin.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Definitions

The term “emollient” as used herein refers broadly to materials whichare capable of maintaining or improving the moisture level, compliance,or appearance of the skin when used repeatedly.

The term “emulsifier” as used herein refers to surfactants or othermaterials added in small quantities to a mixture of two miscible liquidsfor the purpose of aiding in the formation and stabilization of anemulsion.

The phrase “emulsifying ingredients” as used herein is synonymous withemulsifier defined above.

The term “emulsion” as used herein refers to a colloidal dispersion ofone liquid in another.

The term “surfactant” as used herein is the widely employed contractionfor “surface active agent” which is the descriptive generic term formaterials that preferentially adsorb at interfaces as a result of thepresence of both, lipophylic and lipophobic structural units, theadsorption generally resulting in the alteration of the surface orinterfacial properties of the system.

The term “silicone-based surfactant” as used herein refers to a surfaceactive agent in which the lipophylic chain contains a silicone chain,also described as any organosilicon oxide polymer in which thestructural unit is usually comprising: —R₂Si—O)_(n)— where R is amonovalent organic radical, and which enables the composition in whichit is contained to clean, wet and foam.

The phrase “foam stabilizer” as used herein refers to an additive thatincreases the amount or persistence of foam produced by a surfactantsystem.

The term “disinfect” as used herein means to destroy or reduce harmfulmicroorganisms.

The phrase “physiologically acceptable” as used herein means a materialthat does not usually produce irritation or toxicity when applied to theskin and is acceptable by users to apply to human skin

“Foam” as used herein means a liquid and a gas mixed to form a mass ofsmall bubbles that has a structure that lasts for a variable length oftime.

A bubble is a cell of gas surrounded by a film of liquid.

The term “aerosol” as used herein means a package and delivery system,and the product delivered, in which a pressurized gas is used to forcethe product out for dispensing. The gas may or may not be dispensed withthe product.

An “aerosol foam” is a foam dispensed out of an aerosol package anddelivery system as defined above.

The phrase “low pressure” in the context of producing a foam as usedherein means a pressure of around an atmosphere or less such as whendispensing the foam from an unpressurized container. Typically whenfoams are dispensed from aerosol containers the foam is considered to bebeing dispensed under high “pressure” conditions.

The present invention provides foamable alcohol compositions whichinclude silicone-based surfactants with high contents of lower alcohol(C₁₋₄) able to be dispensed as a foam under low pressure conditions fromunpressurized containers and through an aerosol packaging system. Thepresent foamable compositions when mixed with air deliver a stable foamto provide an alcoholic liquid solution which can be used for personalcleaning or for disinfecting purposes and which breaks on pressureapplication such as when a user rubs their hands or when applied over asurface. All percentages provided herein are based on the total weightunless otherwise indicated.

The alcohol used in the present invention is a lower hydrocarbon chainalcohol such as a C₁₋₄ alcohol including methanol, ethanol, propanol andbutanol. The preferred alcohol is chosen from ethanol, 2-propanol, orn-propanol, most preferably ethanol, well accepted by Health Carepersonnel as an adequate disinfectant at the right percentages. It willbe appreciated by those skilled in the art that if the alcohol used inthe formulation is ethanol or a combination of ethanol with one or moreof the other C₁₋₄ alcohols the ethanol preferably will be properlydenatured to meet the local regulations of the targeted markets, but forthe purposes of this patent it will be referred just as ethanol withoutit being specific as to whether it has been denatured. The compositionsmay use a single alcohol or as mentioned a blend of two or more alcoholsmay comprise the alcohol content of the composition

In one embodiment the alcohol may be present in a range from about 40%to about 90% v/v.

A significant and very surprising achievement of the present inventionis that compositions suitable for disinfecting have been made containinggreater than 40% v/v alcohol and a silicone-based surfactant able to bedispensed as a cosmetically appealing foam from both, low pressureconditions and through an aerosol packaging system.

The use of a silicone-based surfactant is the key ingredient as theprimary foaming agent in the compositions designed to foam. Siliconesurfactants have various interesting properties such as leaving littleresidue, being able to function in harsh chemical and thermalenvironments; they have an unparalleled wetting power, characteristicsthat are in general better than those of traditional surfactants, theyshow better surface-active properties in organic solvents, and that havemade them widely used for applications in coatings, oilfield, materialfinishes, cleaning, paints, pesticides application, etc.

Traditional surfactants have carbon chains as the hydrophobic portion ofthe molecule. The hydrophile that is added to the carbon chain willdetermine the solubility and the general class of surfactants asanionic, cationic, non-ionic or amphoteric. The silicone-basedsurfactants suitable for the compositions disclosed herein may include,but are not limited to, phosphate esters, sulphates, carboxylates,Imidazole quats, Amino Quats, Alkyl Quats, Amino propionates,ethoxylates, glycerol esters, amine oxides, acetylenic alcoholderivatives, phosphates, carbohydrate derivatives, sulfonates, betaines,Isethionates, esters, polyamides, and hydrocarbon surfactants that havea silicone chain —(R₂—Si—O)_(n)— and are compatible with the othercomponents being used for a particular formulation.

From the different silicone surfactants commercially available, samplesfrom different manufacturers and different chemical surfactant groupswere evaluated. Particularly, the Silicone Polyethers, also known asdimethicone copolyols showed the best performance. Amongst them, samplesof multi-pendant and linear-difunctional showed activity but the laterwas found to give superior foam properties. This is interesting as wellas unexpected since in most water based applications if one of themulti-pendant or linear-difunctional silicone surfactants produces foamin water based mixtures, the other does not perform as well. Howeverthis is in agreement with the observations that foaming alcoholcompositions behave quite differently from foaming water-basedcompositions.

While trying different surfactants, mixtures of two or more wereevaluated to find out whether there was any synergy identifiable tooptimize usage and foam performance. While some synergies wereidentified, it was also found that particularly difunctional siliconesurfactants Bis-PEG [10-20] Dimethicones were the best when used alone.The notation Bis-PEG-[10-20] means all the Bis-PEG compounds having from10 to 20 repeating oxyethylene groups. This applies to all otherconstituents as well. Specifically Bis-PEG 12 dimethicone and/orBis-PEG-20 dimethicone and/or Bis-PEG-17 dimethicone are preferred alongwith 3-(3-Hydroxypropyl)-heptamethyltrisiloxane, ethoxylated, acetate, apolyether-modified polysiloxane and a polysiloxane betaine, showedpromising results but not as good as the dimethicone ones.

In preferred embodiments of the compositions, the effectivesilicone-based surfactant may be a physiologically acceptableBis-PEG-[10-20] dimethicone, a3-(3-Hydroxypropyl)-heptamethyltrisiloxane, ethoxylated, acetate, aPolyether-modified polysiloxane or a Polysiloxane betaine, or mixturesthereof from about 0.01% to about 10.0% weight percent of the totalcomposition.

It was surprisingly found that despite the characteristics ofsilicone-based surfactants, there is little or no information on theiruse to produce a foamable product with high alcohol content undereither, low pressure conditions or through an aerosol packaging system.

Furthermore, in order to obtain a high alcohol content product able toproduce a foam even if no pressurized containers or propellants areused, surface tension values as low as possible are required so that thepressure required to produce such foam by hand pumps and mechanicalmeans would be sufficient.

During the development of the present invention, it was unexpectedlyfound that a relatively stable quick breaking foam could be obtainedwhen using just ethanol and the silicone-based surfactant with as highas 80% v/w while using traditional surfactants at higher percentageyielded results that could not be even slightly similar and no foam atall could be obtained.

In order to achieve a commercially suitable formulation (one that lastslong enough for the purpose of use in disinfecting applications),reducing the amount of silicone-based surfactant used while using theassistance of other ingredients such as secondary surfactants,emulsifiers, foam stabilizers, fragrances, and the like ingredientsemployed in cosmetics, aerosols, toiletries, personal care, etc. is oneof the approaches that were followed. One of the commercial productsobtained uses emulsifiers and polyethoxylated fatty acid surfactantsdisclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,167,950 and 6,090,395, both incorporatedherein by reference, while other examples use a combination of differentfoam stabilizers to achieve a similar result.

Examples of secondary surfactants that may be used in the presentcompositions include other silicone surfactants, fluorinatedsurfactants, alkylglucosides, a poly(ethoxylated and/orpropoxylated)alcohol, a poly(ethoxylated and/or propoxylated)ester, aderivative of a poly(ethoxylated and/or propoxylated)alcohol, aderivative of a poly(ethoxylated and/or propoxylated)ester, an alkylalcohol, an alkenyl alcohol, an ester of a polyhydric alcohol, an etherof a polyhydric alcohol, an ester of a polyalkoxylated derivative of apolyhydric alcohol, an ether of a polyalkoxylated derivative of apolyhydric alcohol, a sorbitan fatty acid ester, a polyalkoxylatedderivative of a sorbitan fatty acid ester, a betaine, a sulfobetaines,imidazoline derivatives, amino acid derivatives, lecithins,phosphatides, some amine oxides and sulfoxides and mixtures thereof,present in an amount between about 0.10% to about 5% weight percent. Apreferred betaine is cocamidopropyl betaine. A preferred alkylglucosideis cocoglucoside. A preferred fluorinated surfactant is DEA C[8-18]perfluoroalkylethyl phosphate; another preferred fluorinated surfactantis Ammonium C[6-16] perfluoroalkylethyl phosphate, Preferredpolyethoxylated fatty alcohols are polyethoxylated stearyl alcohol (21moles ethylene oxide) and polyethoxylated stearyl alcohol (2 molesethylene oxide), and a combination of these two.

The fluorosurfactant which can be included may be an amphotericpolytetrafluoroethylene acetoxypropyl betaine(CF₃CF₂(CF₂CF₂)_(n)CH₂CH₂(OAc)CH₂N⁺(CH₃)₂CH₂COO⁻) where n=2 to 4; anethoxylated nonionic fluorosurfactant of the following structure:RfCH₂CH₂O(CH₂CH₂O)_(x)H where Rf=F(CF₂CF₂)y, x=0 to about 15, and y=1 toabout 7; and an anionic phosphate fluorosurfactant of the followingstructure: (RfCH₂CH₂O)_(x)P(O)(ONH₄)_(y) where Rf=F(CF₂CF₂)_(z), x=1 or2, y=2 or 1, x+y=3, and z=1 to about 7 or mixtures thereof.

The compositions may include an antimicrobial agent. The followingantimicrobials are offered as non-limiting examples of suitableantimicrobials for use in the present invention and may includechlorhexidine salt, iodine, a complexed form of iodine,parachlorometaxylenol, triclosan, hexachlorophene, a phenol, behenylalcohol, a surfactant having a long chain hydrophobic group and aquaternary group, hydrogen peroxide, silver, a silver salt, silveroxide, other quaternary ammonium salts and mixtures thereof.

A preferred antimicrobial agent in the present compositions ischlorhexidine gluconate (CHG) present in an amount between about 0.10%to about 4.0% weight percent. Another preferred antimicrobial agent isdidecyl dimethyl diammonium chloride in an amount between about 0.05% to5% weight percent. Another preferred antimicrobial agent is Benzalkoniumchloride in an amount between about 0.05% to 5% weight percent. Anotherpreferred anitimicrobial is Behenyl alcohol between 0.05-15% weightpercent.

If the amount of ingredients employed is little enough not to leave atacky feeling after the composition evaporates after single or multipleuses, and this is achieved while maintaining at least 60% v/v ethanol orn-propanol concentration or 70% v/v isopropanol, then the compositionwould be ideal for use as an alcohol hand sanitizer/disinfectantfoamable composition.

The addition of water to the alcohol produces a more stable foam whileallowing to reduce the amount of silicone-based surfactant required tofoam the product. For example, using 0.5 to 1.0% silicone-basedsurfactant with a 50 to 60% v/v alcohol water solution produces a stablefoam that does not readily collapse and that produces a stable puff thatdoes not fall even when inverted and does not collapse until pressure isapplied (such as when rubbed in hands or on over a surface) to providean alcoholic liquid solution, while levels of up to 5% are required ifthe percentage of alcohol used is greater than 65% w/w.

The use of a mild non-irritant surfactant widely used in the cosmeticindustry such as cocamidopropyl betaine or a fluorinated surfactant suchas DEA C[8-18] perfluoroalkylethyl phosphate or Ammonium C[6-16]perfluoroalkylethyl phosphate as a secondary surfactant is more suitableto prepare the foamable hydroalcoholic composition of the presentinvention depending on the silicone-based surfactant being used.

In order to stabilize the foam, foam stabilizers, as well as emulsifyingingredients have been tried with good results in allowing the product tobe dispensed as a foam even when no propellant and/or pressurizedcontainer systems are used.

Examples of compatible foam stabilizers that can optionally be employedinclude lactic acid esters of monoglycerides, cationic emulsifiers,triquaternized stearic phospholipid complex, hydroxystearamidepropyltriamine salts, lactic acid monoglycerides, food emulsifiers suchas glyceryl monostearate, Behentrimonium chloride, Cetrimonium chloride,propylene glycol monostearate, glycols, sodium stearoyl lactylate,silicone wax, an encapsulated oil, Microcapsule Mineral Oil.

A preferred foam stabilizer used in the present foamable compositions iscetyl betaine. Another preferred foam stabilizer is glycerine. Anotherpreferred foam stabilizer is Cetrimonium chloride and alsoBehentrimonium chloride.

Examples of moisturizers and/or emollients which may be used in thepresent formulations include lanolin, vinyl alcohol, polyvinylpyrrolidone and polyols selected from the group consisting of glycerol,propylene glycol, glyceryl oleate and sorbitol, cocoglucoside or a fattyalcohol selected from the group consisting of cetyl alcohol, stearylalcohol, lauryl alcohol, myristyl alcohol and palmityl alcohol, cetylalcohol, ceteareth 20, and combinations thereof, present in an amount upto about 5%. The compositions may include a lipid layer enhancer such asa mixture of alkylglucoside and glyceryl Oleate, or PEG-200 HydrogenatedGlyceryl Palmiate, or Dihydroxypropyl PEG-5 Linoleammonium Chloride orPEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate.

The compositions are formulated to be dispensed as a foam from anunpressurized dispenser having a dispenser pump for mixing thecomposition with air and dispensing foam therefrom. Alternatively thecomposition may be packaged in an aerosol container and dispensed underhigh pressure conditions.

The present invention is unique in that it can be dispensed as a foamfrom such manual low pressure dispensing systems as described, however,the composition can alternatively be dispensed under high pressuresystems as well.

The composition may include an aerosol propellant in an amount fromabout 3 to about 20 weight percent of the total composition forpressurized discharge of the foam. The aerosol propellant may includepropane, carbon dioxide, butane, dichloro difluoro methane, dichlorotetra fluoro ethane, octafluorocyclo butane; 1,1,1,2-tetrafluoroethane;1,1,1,2,3,3,3 heptafluoropropane, and 1,1,1,3,3,3,-hexafluoropropane.When stored in a metal container with propellant, the formulation mayinclude a corrosion inhibitor such as sorbic acid, benzoic acid,potassium sorbate and sodium benzoate, in an amount from about 0.1 toabout 5 weight percent of the total composition.

The composition may include an acid or a base to adjust a pH of thecomposition. When an acid is used to adjust the pH, the acid may behydrochloric acid, citric acid and phosphoric acid, and when a base isused to adjust the pH the base is sodium sesquicarbonate.

The composition may further include constituents such as organic gumsand colloids, lower alkanolamides of higher fatty acids, short chaindiols and/or triols, fragrance, coloring matter, ultraviolet absorbers,solvents, suspending agents, buffers, conditioning agents, antioxidants,bactericides and medicinally active ingredients, and combinationsthereof.

The composition may also include a preservative in an amount from about0.01 to about 5% weight percent of the total composition.

The inventors have very surprisingly discovered that it is possible toproduce alcohol foams which include a combination of both the siliconesurfactants disclosed herein and fluorosurfactants disclosed incopending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/952,474, filed: Sep. 29,2004 and PCT Publication WO 2005/030917 A1 with the resulting foamexhibiting an interesting synergy with respect to the foam quality.

While both types of surfactants in the extremes of the concentrations ofalcohol covered produce more and better foam when the alcoholconcentration is closer to 40% and produce a lower quality foam thatdoes not last in concentrations higher than 80% it was veryinterestingly found that the foam quality observed withfluorosurfactants is different from that obtained using silicone basedsurfactants.

With the pumps used for the examples, compositions using fluorinatedsurfactants are as described as an aereated “quick” breaking foamdisappearing within seconds depending on the amount of alcohol andpercentage of surfactant used, while with the silicone based surfactantsthe foam has a distinctive different appearance, it appears to be moredense and sometimes looks more uniform giving the appearance to be“whiter” not necessarily because there might seem to be more bubbles butbecause the bubbles last longer, they are more stable.

The difference is better observed when comparing side-by-side samplescontaining the same percentage of alcohol, and while it is evident thatwhen the foam is first dispensed it shows more volume and a “better”quality appearance if a fluorinated surfactant is used, this visualadvantage is observed only during the first few seconds since the foamquite rapidly breaks down to a smaller volume to more resemble the foamobtained with the silicone-based surfactant. The most importantdifference appears to be how long the foam containing only thesilicone-based surfactant lasts compared to the time the foam lasts witha foam containing only the fluorinated surfactant.

It should also be noted that one of the main differences in using onesurfactant or the other (fluorosurfactants versus silicone surfactants)is the fact that fluorinated surfactants can reduce the surface tensionto lower levels than those achieved using silicone-based surfactantsalone, therefore compositions with only silicone based surfactantsgenerally need a higher percentage of the silicone based surfactants toachieve a similar result.

A significant advantage to mixing both types of surfactants in the samecomposition is that the silicone based surfactant gives a longer lastingeffect while the fluorinated surfactant has a better tolerance at higherlevels of alcohol hence when mixed the combination provides animprovement in foam quality greater than obtaining using either oneindividually under some conditions.

Combining the surfactants allows the achievement of the desired foamingeffect without exceeding solubility limits of either surfactant while atthe same time taking advantage of the particular characteristics of thefoam differences produced by each one.

The combination of silicone-based surfactants and fluorinated surfactantis of increasing advantage as the alcohol concentration increases, whichis desirable to improve the microbiological efficacy.

The following non-limiting examples are set forth to show for thevarious preferred embodiments and are not in any way to limit the scopeof the present invention.

EXAMPLES

Examples 1 through 12 were prepared to illustrate the ability to producealcohol-based disinfecting formulations which can be dispensed as foamsusing different surfactants and a solution of water and 50% ethanol.Examples 13 through 16 illustrate increasing concentrations of asilicone-based surfactant to produce foam with 40% ethanol. Examples 17through 32 show increasing concentrations of ethanol with differentsilicone-based surfactants to produce foam. Examples 33 through 36illustrate increasing concentrations of a silicone-based surfactant toproduce acceptable foam at 62% ethanol. Examples 37 through 52illustrate the ability to produce foam using different surfactants and asolution of 70% v/v Isopropanol. All parts and percentages are expressedby weight unless otherwise indicated.

Comparatively, it was also found that for instance, Cocamidopropylbetaine (CAPB) alone even at 40% ethanol and at 3% CAPB, was unable toproduce as good results as those with 60% v/v ethanol, andSilicone-based surfactants using much less percentage (less than 1.0%).Cocamidopropyl betaine does not give any acceptable foam above thatpercentage of alcohol and the lower than 60% v/v alcohol content makesit inadequate for a sanitizing solution. Also the solution left anunacceptable feeling on the skin after the alcohol evaporated (i.e. asoapy sticky feeling) indicating high levels of surfactant.Advantageously, the afterfeel of the present compositions was not onlynot soapy but actually pleasant makes the present invention suitable formany different applications.

The following examples were intended to evaluate the foaming ability ofdifferent groups of Silicon surfactants with different combinations ofethanol, n-propyl alcohol and Isopropyl alcohol. They were also designedto assess the effect in the after feel as well as in the foam quality ofsome emollients and humectants, lipids, and other cosmetic type desiredingredients to be used with a leave-on hand sanitizer product. Someingredients with antibacterial properties were also added to againevaluate their effect on foam quality and after feel.

Examples 53 to 293 have total alcohol contents from 61% w/w to 75% w/w.The best foam was achieved with only ethanol as the alcohol, with thenext best being the combination Ethanol and n-propyl alcohol using up to10% n-propyl alcohol. The worst foams were those obtained using onlyIsopropyl alcohol and/or n-propyl alcohol. Also interesting is the factthat the surfactant that works the best with just ethanol is not thesame that works the best with the other 2 alcohols tried. Morespecifically it was found that the PEG-17-Dimethicone as well as theBis-PEG/PPG 18/6 Dimethicone work better than the Bis-PEG 12-Dimethiconewith just n-propyl alcohol and/or Isopropyl alcohol. While combiningdifferent silicone surfactants if different alcohols are used seems toshow a synergy to boost the foam when the addition of another alcoholdisrupts the foaming ability of a particular silicone surfactant in theend the preferred silicone for the combination of alcohols emollientsand other ingredients lies amongst the Bis-PEG [10-20] Dimethiconesilicone surfactants.

Combinations of silicone surfactants with other surfactants were alsotried; various experiments showed that although it was possible to findacceptable foam quality improvement when using other surfactants, thesoapy after-feel was unacceptable for a leave-on product for manysurfactants. However the compositions combining silicone surfactantswith fluorosufactants mentioned above showed an improvement that veryadvantageously allows for the reduction in the percentage of siliconesurfactant to optimize percentages in the formulation regarding cost andother efficacy desired outcomes.

While some cosmetic ingredients like Cocoglucoside Glyceryl Oleateappear to deteriorate the foam quality when present in the composition,if the after-feel effect is beneficial increasing then the foam qualitymay be improved by increasing the percentage of surfactant presentand/or adding a foam stabilizer to the composition to improve the foamquality.

It was also interesting to find that while a higher percentage ofsilicone surfactant present in the composition has been observed toincrease the quality of the foam, the increased amount of siliconesurfactant present has to be considerable before an improvement isobserved. For example, the foam quality achieved with 1% was notsignificantly better with 1.5% but was considerably better with 2% andthe foam quality using 3% or 4% was very similar while 5% was muchbetter than just 3%.

The quality of the dispensed foam can be dependant upon thecharacteristics of the pump mechanism used for dispensing the foam froma bottle. For instance the quality of the foam was better with thesmaller shot size of 0.75 ml than the bigger shot size of 1.5 ml from apump for the same size bottle. The shot size is the amount of liquiddispensed when the pump is activated.

From the above examples it can be concluded that they are clearlydenoting how the art of foaming alcohol is different form that offoaming water based composition in more than one aspect and thatunexpected outcomes could arise depending on the combination ofingredients desired for the final formulation in combination with thetype of foaming device/mechanism to use.

Below are some more specific examples for compositions following aformulation to produce alcohol/silicone-surfactant hand/skin sanitizingfoamable compositions; more than one being a foamable disinfectingcomposition with only alcohol being the only disinfectant ingredient,while other foamable disinfecting compositions use an addedantimicrobial such as Chlorhexidine Digluconate or Didecyl DimethylDiammonium Chloride, Benzalkonium Chloride, Behenyl alcohol, etc.

Example 294

Alcohol Hand Sanitizing Foamable Disinfecting Composition

-   0.01-5.0% * silicone-based surfactant (primary surfactant)-   0.01-1.0% cocoamidopropylbetaine (secondary surfactant)-   0.05-1.0% cetyl betaine (foam stabilizing agent)-   0.10-1.5% emulsifier fatty alcohol ROH 16-22 carbons or combination    that works well in a final formulation containing-   60-70% v/v ethanol-   Q.S. water    -   Preferably a Bis-PEG-[10-20] dimethicone, a        3-(3-Hydroxypropyl)-heptamethyltrisiloxane, ethoxylated,        acetate, a Bis-PEG/PPG 18/6 Dimethicone, acetate, a        Polyether-modified polysiloxane or a Polysiloxane betaine, or        mixtures thereof.

Example 295

Alcohol Hand Sanitizing Foamable Disinfecting Composition Concentrate

-   0.1-5.0% * a physiologically acceptable silicone-based surfactant*;    (primary surfactant)-   0.001-12.0% 1,3 Butyleneglycol, 2-Butoxyethanol, or glycerin (foam    stabilizing agents)-   0.05-5.0% cocoglucoside, glyceryl oleate (moisturizers, emollients    and the like)-   60-70% v/v ethanol, n-propanol, isopropanol or a combination thereof-   Q.S. water    -   Preferably a Bis-PEG-[10-20] dimethicone,        3-(3-Hydroxypropyl)-heptamethyltrisiloxane, ethoxylated,        acetate, a Bis-PEG/PPG 18/6 Dimethicone, acetate, a        Polyether-modified polysiloxane or a Polysiloxane betaine, or        mixtures thereof.

Example 296

Alcohol Hand Sanitizing Foamable Disinfecting Composition

-   0.01-5.0% * silicone-based surfactant (primary surfactant)-   0.01-1.0% fluorinated surfactant and or other silicone-based    surfactants or mixtures (secondary surfactant/s)-   0.05-1.0% Cetrimonium Chloride (foam stabilizing agent)-   0.05-1.0% Behentrimonium Chloride (foam stabilizing agent)-   0.10-1.5% Dihydroxypropyl PEG-5 Linoleammonium Chloride, Glyceryl    Oleate, PEG-200 Hydrogenated Glyceryl Palmate, Behenyl PG-Trimomium    chloride, PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate or combination of emollients,    lipids, humectants that works well in a final formulation containing-   1-10% n-propyl alcohol-   60-70% v/v ethanol-   Q.S. water    -   Preferably a Bis-PEG-[10-20] dimethicone, a        3-(3-Hydroxypropyl)-heptamethyltrisiloxane, an ethoxylated, a        Bis-PEG/PPG 18/6 Dimethicone, acetate, a Polyether-modified        polysiloxane or a Polysiloxane betaine, or mixtures thereof.

Example 297

Alcohol Hand Sanitizing Foamable Disinfecting Composition

-   0.01-5.0% * silicone-based surfactant (primary surfactant)-   0.05-1.0% Cetrimonium Chloride (foam stabilizing agent)-   0.05-1.0% Behentrimonium Chloride (foam stabilizing agent)-   0.10-1.5% Dihydroxypropyl PEG-5 Linoleammonium Chloride, Glyceryl    Oleate, PEG-200 Hydrogenated Glyceryl Palmate, Behenyl PG-Trimomium    chloride, PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate or combination of emollients,    lipids, humectants that works well in a final formulation containing-   1-10% n-propyl alcohol-   60-70% v/v ethanol-   Q.S. water    -   Preferably a Bis-PEG-[10-20] dimethicone, a        3-(3-Hydroxypropyl)-heptamethyltrisiloxane, an ethoxylated, a        Bis-PEG/PPG 18/6 Dimethicone, acetate, a Polyether-modified        polysiloxane or a Polysiloxane betaine, or mixtures thereof.

Example 298

Alcohol Hand Sanitizing Foamable Disinfecting Composition

-   0.01-5.0% * silicone-based surfactant (primary surfactant)-   0.01-1.0% fluorinated surfactant and or other silicone-based    surfactants or mixtures (secondary surfactant/s)-   0.05-1.0% Cetrimonium Chloride (foam stabilizing agent)-   0.05-1.0% Behentrimonium Chloride (foam stabilizing agent)-   0.10-1.5% Dihydroxypropyl PEG-5 Linoleammonium Chloride, Glyceryl    Oleate, PEG-200 Hydrogenated Glyceryl Palmate, Behenyl PG-Trimomium    chloride, PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate or combination of emollients,    lipids, humectants that works well in a final formulation containing-   60-70% v/v ethanol-   Q.S. water    -   Preferably a Bis-PEG-[10-20] dimethicone, a        3-(3-Hydroxypropyl)-heptamethyltrisiloxane, an ethoxylated, a        Bis-PEG/PPG 18/6 Dimethicone, acetate, a Polyether-modified        polysiloxane or a Polysiloxane betaine, or mixtures thereof.

Example 299

Alcohol Hand Sanitizing Foamable Disinfecting Composition

-   0.01-5.0% * silicone-based surfactant (primary surfactant)-   0.05-1.0% Cetrimonium Chloride (foam stabilizing agent)-   0.05-1.0% Behentrimonium Chloride (foam stabilizing agent)-   0.10-1.5% Dihydroxypropyl PEG-5 Linoleammonium Chloride, Glyceryl    Oleate, PEG-200 Hydrogenated Glyceryl Palmate, Behenyl PG-Trimomium    chloride, PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate or combination of emollients,    lipids, humectants that works well in a final formulation containing-   60-70% v/v ethanol-   Q.S. water    -   Preferably a Bis-PEG-[10-20] dimethicone, a        3-(3-Hydroxypropyl)-heptamethyltrisiloxane, an ethoxylated, a        Bis-PEG/PPG 18/6 Dimethicone, acetate, a Polyether-modified        polysiloxane or a Polysiloxane betaine, or mixtures thereof.

Example 300

Chlorhexidine Gluconate (CHG) & Alcohol Hand Sanitizing FoamableDisinfecting Composition

-   Formulation 294, 295, 296, 297, 298 or 299 added with 0.50-4.0%    Chlorhexidine Gluconate (CHG)

Example 301

Didecyl Dimethyl Diammonium Chloride & Alcohol Hand Sanitizing FoamableDisinfecting Composition

-   Formulation 294, 295, 296, 297, 298 or 299 added with 0.01-5.0%    Didecyl Dimethyl Diammonium Chloride

Example 302

Benzalkonium Chloride & Alcohol Hand Sanitizing Foamable DisinfectingComposition

-   Formulation 294, 295, 296, 297, 298 or 299 added with 0.01-5.0%    Benzalkonium Chloride

Example 300

Behenyl Alcohol & Alcohol Hand Sanitizing Foamable DisinfectingComposition

-   Formulation 294, 295, 296, 297, 298 or 299 added with 0.01-5.0%    Behenyl Alcohol

The process to prepare the compositions of the present inventiondescribed

herein is straightforward since most of the ingredients are liquid. Whenwax type ingredients are to be used, they can be incorporated by warmingup to 40-45° C. preferably to the water portion while mixing and thenallowing it to cool down or they could be added in “cold”, at roomtemperature to the alcohol before any other ingredient and mixed untilcompletely incorporated before adding the rest of the ingredientsaccording to the composition.

Active ingredients may be pre-dissolved into the water first, a processthat will be well known to anyone skilled in the art. If a specificformulation cannot be adjusted to give the desired quality of foam withthe preferred percentages of the different constituents, thecharacteristics of the dispensing mechanism may be modified to improvefoam quality, for example the type and characteristics of the foamingpump, such as changing the air/liquid ratio, screen sizes at the nozzle,to mention a few, can be adjusted in ways which will be apparent tothose skilled in the art.

The compositions described herein provide improved alcohol baseddisinfecting products over commercially available compositions with highconcentrations of alcohol, as well as the fact they are able to foamwithout the use of propellants or pressurized containers, although itwill be appreciated that using propellants may in some cases improve thequality of the resulting foam.

Depending on the alcohol concentration and the application of theparticular composition the foam produced can widely vary, being at thehigh end of a relatively fast breaking foam variety which is stableenough to be thoroughly spread onto the skin without undue waste oreffort.

The present formulations may be first made as a concentrate with onlysome of the constituents which can be shipped and then constituted withthe remaining constituents. For example, the concentrate can include a)the effective silicone-based surfactant for wetting and foaming presentin an amount of at least 0.01% weight percent of the total composition0.01 to about 15.0%, a foam stabilizing agent including at least fromabout 0.01 to about 10.0%, and any one of moisturizers, emollients andcombinations thereof present in a range from about 0.05% to about 5.0%;and water.

The composition concentrate can then be constituted as an alcoholdisinfecting composition by adding a) an alcohol C₁₋₄, or mixturesthereof, present in an amount between about 60% v/v to about 80% v/v ofthe total composition; and b) water present in an amount to balance thetotal composition to 100% weight percent.

Examples 1-6

Amount Ingredients Ex. 1 Ex. 2 Ex. 3 Ex. 4 Ex. 5 Ex. 6 Ethanol 50.0050.00 50.00 50.00 50.00 50.00 Silicone-based  0.50 — — — — — surfactantCocamido- —  8.00 — — — — propyl betaine (1) Alkyl- — —  8.00 — — —glucoside (2) Alkyl- — — —  8.00 — — glucoside (3) Glycomul L — — — — 8.00 — Sorbitan — — — — —  8.00 Sesquioleate Purified Water 49.50 42.0042.00 42.00 42.00 42.00 Total % 100.00  100.00  100.00  100.00  100.00 100.00  (1) Amphoteric, (2) Nonionic, (3) Anionic

Examples 7-12

Amount Ingredients Ex. 7 Ex. 8 Ex. 9 Ex. 10 Ex. 11 Ex. 12 Ethanol 50.0050.00 50.00 50.00 50.00 50.00 Polysorbate 20  8.00 — — — — — Polyoxy- — 8.00 — — — — ethylene Sorbitan Monooleate Sorbitan — —  8.00 — — —Monooleate Cocamido- — — —  8.00 — — propyl betaine & sodium caproyllactate Cocamido- — — — —  8.00 — propyl hydroxy- sultaine Sodium — — —— —  8.00 Cocoampho- acetate Purified Water 42.00 42.00 42.00 42.0042.00 42.00 Total % 100.00  100.00  100.00  100.00  100.00  100.00 

Examples 13-16

Amount Ingredients Ex. 13 Ex. 14 Ex. 15 Ex. 16 Ethanol 40.00 40.00 40.0040.00 Bis-PEG-20 dimethicone 0.01 — — — 3-(3-Hydroxypropyl)- — 0.01 — —heptamethyltrisiloxane, ethoxylated, acetate Polyether-modifiedpolysiloxane — — 0.01 — Polysiloxane betaine — — — 0.01 Purified Water59.99 59.99 59.99 59.99 Total % 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00

Examples 17-20

Amount Ingredients Ex. 17 Ex. 18 Ex. 19 Ex. 20 Ethanol 40.00 50.00 60.0075.00 Bis-PEG-20 dimethicone 0.01 0.01 0.01 8.00 Purified Water 59.9949.99 39.99 17.00 Total % 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00

Examples 21-24

Amount Ingredients Ex. 21 Ex. 22 Ex. 23 Ex. 24 Ethanol 40.00 50.00 60.0075.00 Polysiloxane betaine 1.0 1.0 1.0 8.00 Purified Water 59.00 49.0049.00 17.00 Total % 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00

Examples 25-28

Amount Ingredients Ex. 25 Ex. 26 Ex. 27 Ex. 28 Ethanol 40.00 50.00 60.0075.00 Polyether-modified polysiloxane 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 Purified Water59.00 49.00 39.00 24.00 Total % 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00

Examples 29-32

Amount Ingredients Ex. 29 Ex. 30 Ex. 31 Ex. 32 Ethanol 40.00 50.00 60.0075.00 3-(3-Hydroxypropyl)- 0.5 0.5 0.5 10.00 heptamethyltrisiloxane,ethoxylated, acetate Purified Water 59.5 49.50 39.50 15.00 Total %100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00

Examples 33-36

Amount Ingredients Ex. 33 Ex. 34 Ex. 35 Ex. 36 Ethanol 62.00 62.00 62.0062.00 Bis-PEG-20 dimethicone 0.50 1.00 2.0 5.00 Purified Water 37.5037.00 36.00 33.00 Total % 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00

Examples 37-42

Amount Ingredients Ex. 37 Ex. 38 Ex. 39 Ex. 40 Ex. 41 Ex. 42 70% v/v99.90 92.00 92.00 92.00 92.00 92.00 Isopropanol Silicone-based  0.10 — —— — — surfactant Cocamido- —  8.00 — — — — propyl betaine (1) Alkyl- — — 8.00 — — — glucoside (2) Alkyl- — — —  8.00 — — glucoside (3) GlycomulL — — — —  8.00 — Sorbitan — — — — —  8.00 Sesquioleate Total % 100.00 100.00  100.00  100.00  100.00  100.00  (1) Amphoteric, (2) Nonionic,(3) Anionic

Examples 43-48

Amount Ingredients Ex. 43 Ex. 44 Ex. 45 Ex. 46 Ex. 47 Ex. 48 70% v/v92.00 92.00 92.00 92.00 92.00 92.00 Isopropanol Polysorbate 20  8.00 — —— — — Polyoxy- —  8.00 — — — — ethylene Sorbitan Monooleate Sorbitan — — 8.00 — — — Monooleate Cocamido- — — —  8.00 — — propylbetaine & sodiumcaproyl lactate Cocamido- — — — —  8.00 — propyl hydroxy- sultaineSodium — — — — —  8.00 Cocoampho- acetate Total % 100.00  100.00 100.00  100.00  100.00  100.00 

Examples 49-52

Amount Ingredients Ex. 49 Ex. 50 Ex. 51 Ex. 52 70% v/v Isopropanol 99.0099.00 99.00 99.00 Bis-PEG-20 dimethicone 1.0 — — — 3-(3-Hydroxypropyl)-— 1.0 — — heptamethyltrisiloxane, ethoxylated, acetatePolyether-modified polysiloxane — — 1.0 — Polysiloxane betaine — — — 1.0Total % 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00The solutions prepared, were evaluated as to whether foam was producedor not and if so, then the foam produced was described as follows:

Foam Example Produced Foam Evaluation/Description/Characteristics Ex. 1Yes Very good stable stiff puff creamy and soft lasts a long time Ex. 2No Just Very Wet Bubbles produced lasting <10 seconds Ex. 3 No — Ex. 4No — Ex. 5 No — Ex. 6 No Just Very Wet Bubbles produced lasting <7seconds Ex. 7 No Just Very Wet Bubbles produced lasting <10 seconds Ex.8 No — Ex. 9 No Just Very Wet Bubbles produced lasting <10 seconds Ex.10 No — Ex. 11 No — Ex. 12 No — Ex. 13 Yes Quick fast breaking foamlasts more than a minute Ex. 14 Yes Very good puff creamy and soft lastsminutes Ex. 15 Yes Very good puff creamy and soft lasts minutes Ex. 16Yes Quick fast breaking foam lasts more than a minute Ex. 17 Yes Verygood puff creamy and soft lasts minutes Ex. 18 Yes Good puff creamy andsoft lasts minutes Ex. 19 Yes Quick fast breaking foam lasts more than a10 secs Ex. 20 Yes — Ex. 21 Yes Runny watery foam which lasts more than45 secs Ex. 22 Yes Quick fast breaking foam lasts more than a 10 secsEx. 23 Yes Runny watery foam which lasts more than 20 secs Ex. 24 Yes —Ex. 25 Yes Runny watery foam which lasts more than 20 secs Ex. 26 YesRunny foam which lasts more than 20 secs Ex. 27 Yes Quick fast breakingfoam lasts more than a 45 secs Ex. 28 No Quick fast breaking foam lastsmore than a 45 secs Ex. 29 Yes Very good creamy and soft lasts more thana minute Ex. 30 Yes Good creamy and soft lasts more than a minute Ex. 31Yes Quick fast breaking foam lasts more than a 45 secs Ex. 32 No — Ex.33 No Quick fast breaking foam lasts more than a minute Ex. 34 No Goodcreamy and soft lasts more than a minute Ex. 35 No Very good creamy andsoft lasts more than a minute Ex. 36 No Very good creamy and soft lastsminutes Ex. 37 Yes Quick fast breaking foam lasts more than a 20 secsEx. 38 No — Ex. 39 No — Ex. 40 No — Ex. 41 No — Ex. 42 No — Ex. 43 No —Ex. 44 No — Ex. 45 No — Ex. 46 No — Ex. 47 No — Ex. 48 No — Ex. 49 YesRunny watery foam which lasts more than a 45 secs Ex. 50 Yes Runnywatery foam which lasts more than a 45 secs Ex. 51 Yes Runny watery foamwhich lasts more than a 45 secs Ex. 52 Yes Runny watery foam which lastsmore than a 45 secs

Examples 53-63

INGREDIENTS 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 1,3-butylene glycol 0.430.43 1 1 1 0.43 0.43 1 1 1 0.43 Ethanol 62 52 52.2 62.2 42.2 62 52 52.242.2 62 Benzalkonium Chloride 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 Dimethyl Ammonium 0.1Chloride PEG 17-Dimethicone 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 Glycerine 0.9 0.9 0.50.5 0.5 0.9 0.9 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.9 Cocoglucoside & 0.08 0.08 0.08 0.08 0.08Glyceryl Oleate DEA C8-C18 Perfluoroalkylethyl Phosphate Ammonium C6-C160.5 0.5 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.5 PerfluoroalkylethylPhosphate Cetrimonium Chloride n-Propyl alcohol 2 10 10 20 2 10 10 62.220 2 Propylene glycol 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.5 Purified Water 33.1 36.134.6 34.6 34.6 33.2 35.2 34.5 34.5 34.5 33

Examples 64-73

INGREDIENTS 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 64 1,3-butylene glycol 0.430.43 1 1 1 0.43 0.43 0.43 0.43 0.43 0.43 Ethanol 62 62 52.2 52.2 52.2 6252 62 62 62 62 Benzalkonium Chloride Dimethyl Ammonium 0.5 1 0.1 0.1 10.5 Chloride PEG 17-Dimethicone 1 1 1 1 1 1 1.5 1 1 1 1 Glycerine 0.90.9 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.9 0.9 0.9 0.9 0.9 0.9 Cocoglucoside & 0.08 0.08 0.080.08 0.08 0.08 0.08 Glyceryl Oleate DEA C8-C18 0.3 0.5 0.5 0.5Perfluoroalkylethyl Phosphate Ammonium C6-C16 0.5 0.5 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.50.3 0.5 Perfluoroalkylethyl Phosphate Cetrimonium Chloride 0.05 0.1 0.05n-Propyl alcohol 2 2 10 10 10 2 10 2 2 2 2 Propylene glycol 0.5 0.5 0.5Purified Water 32.6 32.1 34.5 34.5 33.6 33.1 35 33 33 33 32.6

Examples 74-84

INGREDIENTS 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 1,3-butylene glycol 0.430.43 0.43 0.43 0.43 0.43 0.43 0.43 0.43 0.43 0.43 Ethanol 52 62 62 52 5262 62 52 52 62 62 Glycerine 0.9 0.9 0.9 0.9 0.9 0.9 0.9 0.9 0.9 0.9 0.9Cocoglucoside & 0.08 0.08 0.08 0.08 0.08 0.08 0.08 0.08 0.08 0.08 0.08Glyceryl Oleate Bis-PEG 17 5.5 5.5 5.5 5.5 5.5 5.5 Dimethicone Bis-PEG12 4.8 4.8 4.8 4.8 4.8 Dimethicone Cetrimonium 0.1 ChlorideDihydroxypropyl 0.05 0.1 0.05 0.1 0.1 PEG-5 Linoleammonium ChlorideBehenoyl PG- 0.05 0.1 0.05 0.1 Trimonium Chloride Behenamidopropyl 0.050.1 Dimethylamine Behentrimonium Chloride Cetearyl Alcohol andBehentrimonium Chloride n-Propyl alcohol 10 2 2 10 10 2 2 10 10 2 2Propylene glycol Purified Water 31.7 29 29 31.7 31.7 28.9 29 31.7 31.729 29

Examples 85-94

INGREDIENTS 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 1,3-butylene glycol 0.43 0.430.43 0.43 0.43 0.43 0.43 0.43 0.43 0.43 Ethanol 52 52 62 62 52 52 62 6252 52 Glycerine 0.9 0.9 0.9 0.9 0.9 0.9 0.9 0.9 0.9 0.9 Cocoglucoside &0.08 0.08 0.08 0.08 0.08 0.08 0.08 0.08 0.08 0.08 Glyceryl OleateBis-PEG 17 5.5 5.5 5.5 5.5 Dimethicone Bis-PEG 12 4.8 4.8 4.8 4.8 4.84.8 Dimethicone Cetrimonium Chloride Dihydroxypropyl PEG-5Linoleammonium Chloride Behenoyl PG- Trimonium Chloride Behenamidopropyl0.05 0.1 Dimethylamine Behentrimonium 0.5 0.1 0.05 0.1 Chloride CetearylAlcohol and 0.05 0.1 0.05 0.1 Behentrimonium Chloride n-Propyl alcohol10 10 2 2 10 10 2 2 10 10 Propylene glycol Purified Water 31.7 31.7 28.629 31.7 31.7 29 29 31.7 31.7

Examples 95-115

INGREDIENTS 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 Dimethicone 1 1.5 2 11.5 PEG-8 Bis-PEG/PPG 1 1.5 2 1 1.5 2 18/6 Dimethicone Ethanol PEG-17 11 Dimethicone Glycerine 1 1 1 Isopropyl 70 70 70 70 70 70 70 70 70 70 70Alcohol n-Propyl Alcohol Purified Water 29 28.5 28 28 27.5 27 29 28.5 2828 27.5 INGREDIENTS 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 115 Dimethicone2 1 1.5 2 PEG-8 Bis-PEG/PPG 1 1.5 2 1 1.5 2 18/6 Dimethicone Ethanol 5555 55 55 55 55 55 55 55 PEG-17 1 Dimethicone Glycerine 1 1 1 Isopropyl70 Alcohol n-Propyl 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 Alcohol Purified Water 2734 33.5 33 33 32.5 32 34 33.5 33

Examples 116-136

INGREDIENTS 116 117 118 119 120 121 122 123 124 125 126 Dimethicone 11.5 2 1 1.5 PEG-8 Bis-PEG/PPG 1 1.5 1 1 1.5 2 18/6 Dimethicone Ethanol55 55 55 65 65 65 65 65 65 65 65 PEG-17 Dimethicone Glycerine 1 1 1 1 11 n-Propyl 10 10 10 Alcohol Purified Water 33 32.5 32 34 33.5 34 33 32.532 34 33.5 INGREDIENTS 127 128 129 130 131 132 133 134 135 136Dimethicone 2 1 1.5 2 PEG-8 Bis-PEG/PPG 1 1.5 2 1 1.5 2 18/6 DimethiconeEthanol 65 65 65 65 PEG-17 Dimethicone Glycerine 1 1 1 1 1 1 n-Propyl 6262 62 62 62 62 Alcohol Purified Water 33 33 32.5 32 37 36.5 36 36 35.535

Examples 137-156

INGREDIENTS 137 138 139 140 141 142 143 144 145 146 Cetrimonium ChlorideDimethicone 1 1.5 2 1 1.5 2 PEG-8 Bis-PEG/PPG 1.5 18/6 DimethiconeEthanol 55 55 55 PEG-17 Dimethicone Glycerine 1 1 1 1 1 1 n-Propyl 62 6262 62 62 62 10 10 10 62 Alcohol Bis-PEG 12 3 4 5 DimethiconeDihydroxypropyl 0.1 PEG-5 Linoleammonium Chloride Purified 37 36.5 36 3635.5 35 31 30 29 36.4 Water INGREDIENTS 147 148 149 150 151 152 153 154155 156 Cetrimonium 0.1 0.1 Chloride Dimethicone 0.5 PEG-8 Bis-PEG/PPG 55 1 2 1.5 3 3 18/6 Dimethicone Ethanol 61 61 61 61 61 55 55 55 PEG-17Dimethicone Glycerine n-Propyl 62 62 10 10 10 Alcohol Bis-PEG 12 1 1.5 2Dimethicone Dihydroxypropyl 0.1 0.1 PEG-5 Linoleammonium ChloridePurified 37.9 37.9 38 37 37 35.9 35.9 34 33.5 33 Water

Examples 157-167

INGREDIENTS 157 158 159 160 161 162 163 164 165 166 167 1,3 ButyleneGlycol Alcohol Behenamidopropyl Dimethylamine Behentrimonium ChlorideCetrimonium Chloride 0.1 0.1 0.1 Bis-PEG/PPG 18/6 Dimethicone Ethanol 5555 61 61 61 61 61 Glycerine Cocoglucoside Glyceryl Oleate n-PropylAlcohol 10 10 62 62 62 62 Bis-PEG 12 Dimethicone 1.5 1.5 1 1.5 2 1.5 1.51 1.5 2 1.5 Dihydroxypropyl PEG-5 0.1 0.1 Linoleammonium ChloridePurified Water 33.4 33.4 38 37.5 37 37.4 37.4 37 36.5 36 36.4

Examples 168-177

INGREDIENTS 168 169 170 171 172 173 174 175 176 177 1,3 Butylene Glycol4.3 4.3 4.3 4.3 4.3 4.3 4.3 Alcohol 62 62 62 62 62 62 62Behenamidopropyl 0.1 Dimethylamine Behentrimonium Chloride 0.1 0.1Cetrimonium Chloride Bis-PEG/PPG 18/6 1 1.5 2 Dimethicone Ethanol 61 61Glycerine 0.9 0.9 0.9 0.9 0.9 0.9 0.9 Cocoglucoside Glyceryl 0.08 0.080.08 0.08 0.08 0.08 0.08 Oleate n-Propyl Alcohol 62 2 2 2 2 2 2 2Bis-PEG 12 Dimethicone 1.5 1 1.5 2 2 2 Dihydroxypropyl PEG-5Linoleammonium Chloride Purified Water 36.4 30.7 29.7 29.2 28.7 29.729.2 28.7 36.9 36.9

Examples 178-188

INGREDIENTS 178 179 180 181 182 183 184 185 186 187 188 1,3-butyleneglycol 4.3 4.3 4.3 4.3 0.43 0.43 0.43 0.43 Ethanol 62 62 62 62 70 70 7070 Behenoyl PG-Trimonium 0.1 Chloride Cetearyl Alcohol 0.1&Behentrimonium Chloride Behentrimonium Chloride Cetrimonium Chloride0.1 0.1 0.1 Dimethicone PEG-8 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.5 Bis-PEG/PPG 15/15Dimethicone Bis-PEG/PPG 18/6 0.5 0.75 2 Dimethicone Ethanol 61 61 PEG-17Dimethicone Glycerine 0.9 0.9 0.9 0.9 0.9 0.9 0.9 0.9 Isopropyl AlcoholCocoglucoside & Glyceryl 0.08 0.08 0.08 0.08 0.08 0.08 0.08 0.08 Oleaten-Propyl Alcohol 2 2 2 2 2 2 PEG-200 Hydrogenated Glyceryl PalmateBis-PEG 12 Dimethicone 2 2 0.5 0.75 2 2.5 2.5 2.5 2.5 Purified Water36.9 36.9 29.7 29.2 28.2 28.2 100 23.5 24 25.5 26.1

Examples 189-198

INGREDIENTS 189 190 191 192 193 194 195 196 197 198 1,3-butylene glycol0.43 0.43 0.43 0.43 0.43 0.43 Ethanol 55 62 62 70 70 70 70 BehenoylPG-Trimonium Chloride Cetearyl Alcohol &Behentrimonium ChlorideBehentrimonium Chloride 0.1 0.1 0.1 Cetrimonium Chloride 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.10.1 0.1 0.1 Dimethicone PEG-8 2 Bis-PEG/PPG 15/15 2.5 2.5 2 2Dimethicone Bis-PEG/PPG 18/6 Dimethicone Ethanol 61 55 61 PEG-17Dimethicone 2 Glycerine 0.9 0.9 0.9 0.9 0.9 0.9 Isopropyl AlcoholCocoglucoside & Glyceryl 0.08 0.08 0.08 0.08 0.08 0.08 Oleate n-PropylAlcohol 10 2 2 10 PEG-200 Hydrogenated 0.1 0.5 0.5 0.5 Glyceryl PalmateBis-PEG 12 Dimethicone 2.5 2 2.5 2.5 Purified Water 32.8 31.9 32.4 25.925.5 25.5 25.5 37 33 37

Examples 199-219

INGREDIENTS 199 200 201 202 203 204 205 206 207 208 209 1,3 Butylene0.43 0.43 Glycol Cetearyl Alcohol 1 and Behentrimonium ChlorideBehentrimonium 0.1 0.1 Chloride Bis-PEG/PPG 1 18/6 Dimethicone Ethanol55 55 70 55 70 55 55 55 55 55 55 PEG-17 2 1 1 2 1 1 DimethiconeGlycerine 0.9 0.9 Cocoglucoside 0.08 0.08 Glyceryl Oleate n-PropylAlcohol 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 PEG-200 1 Hydrogenated GlycerylPalmate Bis-PEG 20 2 1 1 Dimethicone Bis-PEG 12 1 2.5 2.5 2 1 1Dimethicone Purified Water 43 43 25 43 25 43 43 43 43 43 43 INGREDIENTS210 211 212 213 214 215 216 217 218 219 1,3 Butylene Glycol CetearylAlcohol and Behentrimonium Chloride Behentrimonium Chloride Bis-PEG/PPG18/6 Dimethicone Ethanol 62 62 62 62 62 62 70 70 70 70 PEG-17 2 1 1 2 1Dimethicone Glycerine Cocoglucoside Glyceryl Oleate n-Propyl Alcohol 2 22 2 2 2 PEG-200 Hydrogenated Glyceryl Palmate Bis-PEG 20 2 1 1 2Dimethicone Bis-PEG 12 2 1 1 2 1 Dimethicone Purified Water 36 36 36 3636 36 28 28 28 28

Examples 220-230

INGREDIENTS 220 221 222 223 224 225 226 227 228 229 230 PEG-8 0.01 0.010.05 0.01 0.01 0.05 0.01 0.01 0.01 Dimethicone Ethanol 70 70 62 62 62 7070 70 60 60 60 PEG-17 1 Dimethicone n-Propyl Alcohol 2 2 2 2 2 2 10 1010 Bis-PEG 20 1 1 Dimethicone Bis-PEG-12 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 DimethiconePurified Water 28 28 35 35 35 27 27 27 29 29 29

Examples 231-240

INGREDIENTS 231 232 233 234 235 236 237 238 239 240 PEG-8 0.01 0.01 0.050.01 0.01 0.05 0.01 0.01 0.05 0.01 Dimethicone Ethanol 55 55 55 65 65 6561 PEG-17 Dimethicone n-Propyl Alcohol 60 60 60 10 10 10 10 10 10 39Bis-PEG 20 Dimethicone Bis-PEG-12 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 DimethiconePurified Water 39 39 39 34 34 34 24 24 24 −1

Examples 241-251

INGREDIENTS 241 242 243 244 245 246 247 248 249 250 251PEG-8-Dimethicone 0.01 0.05 Bis-PEG/PPG 18/6 1 1 1 Dimethicone Ethanol61 61 55 65 61 70 62 60 65 65 DEA C8-C18 Perfluoroalkylethyl PhosphateAmmonium C6-C16 1 1 1 Perfluoroalkylethyl Phosphate Cetrimonium ChlorideDihydroxypropyl PEG-5 Linoleammonium Chloride n-Propyl Alcohol 10 10 602 2 10 10 10 Bis PEG 12-Dimethicone 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 Purified Water38 38 34 24 38 39 27 35 27 22 23

Examples 252-261

INGREDIENTS 252 253 254 255 256 257 258 259 260 261 PEG-8-DimethiconeBis-PEG/PPG 18/6 Dimethicone 1 1 1.5 Ethanol 65 65 65 65 61 61 61 61 6161 DEA C8-C18 Perfluoroalkylethyl 1 1 Phosphate Ammonium C6-C16Perfluoroalkylethyl Phosphate Cetrimonium Chloride 0.1 0.5 1 0.1 0.5 1Dihydroxypropyl PEG-5 0.1 0.5 1 Linoleammonium Chloride n-Propyl Alcohol10 10 10 10 Bis PEG 12-Dimethicone 1 1.5 1 1 1 Purified Water 23 22 23.523.5 37.9 37.5 37 38.8 38 37

Examples 262-272

INGREDIENTS 262 263 264 265 266 267 268 269 270 271 272 BehenylPG-Trimonium Chloride Cetearyl Alcohol and Behentrimonium ChloridePolyethylene Glycol 600 0.1 0.5 1 PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate Ethanol 61 6161 61 61 61 61 61 61 61 61 Cocoglucoside & Glyceryl 0.1 0.5 OleatePolyethylene Glycol 0.2 0.5 1 PEG-200 Hydrogenated 0.1 0.5 1 GlycerylPalmate Bis-PEG 12 Dimethicone 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 Purified Water 37.837.5 37 37.9 37.5 37 37.9 37.5 37 37.9 37.5

Examples 273-282

INGREDIENTS 273 274 275 276 277 278 279 280 281 282 Behenyl PG-Trimonium0.1 0.5 1 Chloride Cetearyl Alcohol and 0.1 0.5 1 BehentrimoniumChloride Polyethylene Glycol 600 PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate 0.1 Ethanol 6161 61 61 61 61 61 61 61 61 Cocoglucoside & Glyceryl 1 OleatePolyethylene Glycol PEG-200 Hydrogenated Glyceryl Palmate Bis-PEG 12Dimethicone 1 2 3 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 Purified Water 37 37 36 37.9 37.5 3737.9 37.5 37 37.9

Examples 283-293

INGREDIENTS 283 284 285 286 287 288 289 290 291 292 293 Behenyl PG- 0.20.25 0.2 0.25 0.2 0.2 Trimonium Chloride Cetearyl Alcohol 0.3 0.4 0.30.4 0.3 0.3 and Behentrimonium Chloride PEG-7 Glyceryl 0.5 1 0.15 0.20.15 0.2 0.15 0.15 Cocoate PEG-PPG 20/6 1 Dimethicone PEG 4- 1Dimethicone PEG-8- 1 Dimethicone Ethanol 61 61 61 61 65 65 65 65 65 6161 Cocoglucoside & 0.2 0.25 0.2 0.25 0.2 0.2 Glyceryl Oleate Cetrimonium0.1 0.2 0.1 0.2 0.1 0.1 Chloride Dihydroxypropyl 0.4 0.5 0.4 0.5 0.4 0.4PEG-5 Linoleammonium Chloride n-Propyl Alcohol 10 10 10 10 10 PEG-2000.15 0.2 0.15 0.2 0.15 0.15 Hydrogenated Glyceryl Palmate Bis-PEG 12 1 12 2 2 3 1.5 1 Dimethicone Purified Water 37.5 37 35.5 35 21.5 20 24 2424 36 36.5

Due to the nature of the base composition with respect to the alcoholconcentration and the quality of the ingredients, an advantageousapplication for the present invention is as an alcohol skin/handdisinfectant composition for a foamable product, examples of which aredescribed above. Nevertheless, the present invention lends itself to thepreparation of a wide variety of products for disinfecting applications,and it is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized andthat changes may be made without departing from the scope of theinvention.

Consequently, it is intended that the claims be interpreted to coversuch modifications and equivalents. To note a few, the followingproducts may be produced using the alcohol/silicone-surfactants:medicated foams, sunscreen foams, hand cream foams, brush-less shavingcream foams, shower or bath oil foams, dry hair shampoo foams, make-upremover foams, analgesic foam rubs, hair grooming foams andantiperspirants hair cleaning foam, antiperspirant foam, hairconditioner foams.

As used herein, the terms “comprises”, “comprising”, “includes” and“including” are to be construed as being inclusive and open ended, andnot exclusive. Specifically, when used in this specification includingclaims, the terms “comprises”, “comprising”, “includes” and “including”and variations thereof mean the specified features, steps or componentsare included. These terms are not to be interpreted to exclude thepresence of other features, steps or components.

The foregoing description of the preferred embodiments of the inventionhas been presented to illustrate the principles of the invention and notto limit the invention to the particular embodiment illustrated. It isintended that the scope of the invention be defined by all of theembodiments encompassed within the following claims and theirequivalents.

REFERENCES CITED U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS 2,054,989 September 1936 Moore167/58 3,131,153 April 1964 Klausner 252/305 3,962,150 June 1976 Leonardet al. 252/542 4,440,653 April 1984 James et al. 252/8.55 5,167,950December 1992 Lins 424/47 4,956,170 September 1990 Lee 514/772.15,629,006 May 1997 Minh et al. 424/405 5,906,808 May 1999 Osborne, et al424/43 5,928,993 July 1999 Ingegärd 504/116 5,951,993 September 1999Scholz et al 424/405 6,090,395 July 2000 Asmus et al 424/401 6,610,315August 2003 Scholz et al 424/415 6,623,744 September 2003 Asmus et al424/401 6,562,360 May 2003 Scholz et al 424/405

OTHER PUBLICATIONS

-   Myers, Drew; “Surfactant Science and Technology”, second edition,    Drew Myers, VCH Publishers, New York, 1992

What is claimed is:
 1. A method of producing and dispensing a foam usinga foamable alcohol composition, the method comprising: dispensing afoamable alcohol composition from a container having a dispenser pumpconfigured to mix air with the foamable alcohol composition under lowpressure during dispensing to form a foam, the foamable alcoholcomposition comprising i) a C₁₋₄ alcohol, or mixtures thereof, presentin an amount greater than or equal to 60% v/v of the total composition;ii) an effective physiologically acceptable silicone-based surfactant,comprising a lipophilic chain containing a silicone backbone for wettingand foaming present in an amount of at least 0.01% by weight of thetotal composition; and iii) water present in an amount to balance thetotal composition to 100% by weight.
 2. The method according to claim 1wherein the dispenser is an unpressurized dispenser and whereby when auser activates the dispenser pump air is mixed with the compositionunder low pressure.
 3. The method according to claim 1, wherein thealcohol C₁₋₄ is an aliphatic alcohol selected from the group consistingof methanol, ethanol, isopropanol, n-propanol, butanol and combinationsthereof.
 4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the alcohol ispresent in an amount up to about 90% v/v.
 5. The method according toclaim 1, further comprising at least one additional surfactant presentin an amount no more than 1% by weight for adjusting properties of thefoam produced from the composition.
 6. The method according to claim 5wherein the additional surfactant is selected from the group consistingof additional silicone-based surfactants, fluorinated surfactants,alkylglucosides, a poly(ethoxylated) alcohol, apoly(propoxylated)alcohol, a poly(ethoxylated) ester, apoly(propoxylated)ester, a poly(ethoxylated) poly(propoxylated)alcohol,a polyethoxylated fatty alcohol, an alkenyl alcohol, an ester of apolyhydric alcohol, an ether of a polyhydric alcohol, an ester of apolyalkoxylated polyhydric alcohol, an ether of a polyalkoxylatedpolyhydric alcohol, a sorbitan fatty acid ester, a betaine, asulfobetaine, an imidazoline, an amino acid, a lecithin, a phosphatide,an amine oxide, a sulfoxide and mixtures thereof.
 7. The methodaccording to claim 6 wherein the additional surfactant is a betaine. 8.The method according to claim 6 wherein the additional surfactant is analkylglucoside.
 9. The method according to claim 6 wherein thepolyethoxylated fatty alcohol is selected from the group consisting ofpolyethoxylated stearyl alcohol (21 moles ethylene oxide),polyethoxylated stearyl alcohol (2 moles ethylene oxide) and acombination thereof.
 10. The method according to claim 6 wherein saidfluorinated surfactant is selected from the group consisting of DEAC[8-18] perfluoroalkylethyl phosphate and ammonium C[6-16]perfluoroalkylethyl phosphate.
 11. The method according to claim 1further comprising constituents selected from the group consisting oforganic gums and colloids, lower alkanolamides of higher fatty acids,short chain diols and/or triols, fragrance, coloring matter, ultravioletabsorbers, buffers, conditioning agents, antioxidants, bactericides andmedicinally active ingredients, and combinations thereof.
 12. The methodaccording to claim 1 further comprising a physiologically acceptablefluorosurfactant present in a range from about 0.01 to about 10% byweight, wherein said C₁₋₄ alcohol is present in an amount from 60 toabout 90% v/v of the total composition, and wherein the silicone-basedsurfactant for wetting and foaming is present in an amount from 0.1 toabout 10% by weight of the total composition.
 13. The method accordingto claim 12 wherein the fluorosurfactant is selected from the groupconsisting of an amphoteric polytetrafluoroethylene acetoxypropylbetaine (CF₃CF₂(CF₂CF₂)_(n)CH₂CH(OAc)CH₂N⁺(CH₃)₂CH₂COO⁻) where n=2 to 4;an ethoxylated nonionic fluorosurfactant of the following structure:RfCH₂CH₂O(CH₂CH₂O)_(x)H where Rf═F(CF₂CF₂)y, x=0 to 15, and y=1 to about7; and an anionic phosphate fluorosurfactant of the following structure:(RfCH₂CH₂O)_(x)P(O)(ONH₄)_(y) where Rf═F(CF₂CF₂)z, x=1 or 2, y=2 or 1,x+y=3, and z=1 to 7, and mixtures thereof.
 14. The method according toclaim 1 wherein said alcohol C₁₋₄, or mixtures thereof, is present in anamount between 60% to about 80% v/v of the total composition and saideffective physiologically acceptable silicone-based surfactant ispresent in an amount from 0.01% to about 10.0% by weight of the totalcomposition, and wherein said composition further comprises a foamstabilizing agent present in an amount from about 0.01 to about 12.0% byweight of the total composition.
 15. The method according to claim 14 inwhich said composition is formulated as a leave-on product not requiringwashing after use of the foam.
 16. A method for producing, and applyingto a person's skin, a skin-disinfecting alcohol foam composition,comprising a) combining an alcohol C₁₋₄, or mixtures thereof, present inan amount greater than or equal to 60% v/v of the total composition withan effective physiologically acceptable silicone-based surfactant forfoaming present in an amount of at least 0.01% by weight of the totalcomposition, and water present in an amount to balance the totalcomposition to 100% by weight to form an alcohol/silicone-basedsurfactant mixture and storing said composition in an unpressurizeddispenser having a dispenser pump; b) activating the dispenser pump tocombine the alcohol/silicone-based surfactant mixture with air under lowpressure to form and dispense a skin-disinfecting alcohol foam; and c)applying the skin-disinfecting alcohol foam to the person's skin. 17.The method according to claim 16 wherein the physiologically acceptablesilicone-based surfactant for wetting and foaming is selected from thegroup consisting of silicone ethoxylates, silicone glycerol esters,silicone amine oxides, silicone acetylenic alcohols, siliconecarboxylates, silicone sulphates, silicone phosphates, siliconeimidazole quats, silicone amino quats, silicone phosphate esters,silicone carbohydrates, silicone isethionates, silicone sulfonates,silicone betaines, silicone alkyl quats, silicone amino propionates,silicone esters, silicone polyamides, silicone fluorinated surfactants,and silicone hydrocarbon surfactants.
 18. The method according to claim16 wherein the physiologically acceptable silicone-based surfactant isselected from the group consisting of bis-PEG-[10-20] dimethicones,3-(3-hydroxypropyl)-heptamethyltrisiloxane ethoxylated acetate,polyether-modified polysiloxanes, polysiloxane betaine and mixturesthereof from 0.01% to about 10.0% by weight of the total composition.